UConn pitchers struggled to find the strike zone, putting plenty of runners on the bases.
It was a tough weekend for UConn pitching as the staff walked 22, hit five batters, threw one wild pitch and had a balk over 25 innings of work. The Huskies fell in all three contests in the Puerto Rico Challenge, but there were bright spots offensively, as Grant MacArthur and Ryan Daniels came up big all weekend.
Friday: Stetson 10, UConn 6
UConn climbed out of a 5-0 hole to take the lead in the top of the fifth, but Stetson came back and added three in the seventh and two in the eighth, handing the Huskies an Opening Day defeat.
Gabe Van Emon allowed five runs in 2 2⁄3 innings of work, giving up four hits while walking three. He got out of the first clean, but free passes in the form of both bases on balls and hitting batters with pitches helped extend innings for the Hatters, cutting his day short.
Manhattan transfer Oliver Pudvar replaced him and ate up valuable outs, throwing 3 1⁄3 no-hit innings. It was on his watch that the Huskies were able to get their feet under it offensively.
UConn got a runner on in each of the first four innings, but the frame ended before they reached second base safely. That changed in the fifth as a pair of walks, followed by a hit-by-pitch, loaded the bases with just one down and leadoff hitter Caleb Shpur at the plate.
He worked a base on balls of his own, chasing Stetson starting pitcher James Hays. Justin Solimine replaced him and threw two wild pitches, plating two runs and putting Stetson’s lead at just a pair. He hit Sam Biller and his morning was done.
Grant MacArthur, who had three hits on the day, Bryan Padilla and Ryan Daniels followed with singles to get three more runs across the plate, giving the Huskies their first lead of 2025. However, that was really all UConn could muster with the bats, as just one more runner got into scoring position on the day.
However, Stetson was far from done. Freshman Cayden Suchy entered to start the seventh and had a tough collegiate debut, as he walked three Hatters and hit a fourth, ending his outing getting just one out. Greg Shaw III wasn’t able to pick up his teammate, as a single through the right side brought home the game-winning run.
Saturday: Missouri 11, UConn 7
UConn pitching had a slight improvement, with just seven walks and two hit-by-pitches, but it was still too many, as Missouri had a six-run sixth that proved to provide an insurmountable lead.
Ian Cooke was able to get into the fifth, allowing four runs on seven hits, with three walks against six strikeouts, in 4 1⁄3 innings. Sam Biller had three hits and Rob Rispoli had a trio of singles, while Ryan Daniels hit his team’s first home run of the season with a solo home run in the sixth.
Missouri added a run in the second, but the Huskies stormed back in the third for a short-lived lead. Grant MacArthur stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and one out. He got hit by a pitch to bring home a run, then Maddix Dalena knocked a sacrifice fly for a 2-1 lead, though the Tigers strung three hits together in the bottom half of the frame to re-tie proceedings.
Cooke served up a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth, spelling the end of his day, but Evan Hamberger struck out the first two batters he faced out of the bullpen to keep his team’s deficit at two, though the sixth spelled trouble.
Sam Biller misplayed a fly ball to lead off the frame, putting a runner on third and nobody out. Missouri smelled blood in the water and took advantage, with a walk, two singles, double and home run in consecutive batters. That put the Tigers up 10-3 and knocked Hamberger out of the game. Charlie West was able to get through the rest of the inning, as well as the seventh, unscathed, providing two hitless frames. He also registered four punchouts along the way.
UConn made a comeback attempt in the seventh, grabbing four runs, but it would come up short. Rispoli got it started by forcing a bad throw on a single up the middle, ending up on second base. Caleb Shpur doubled him in and then he traded places with Biller on his two-bagger. Maddix Dalena walked and Bryan Padilla knocked a third double, plating both runners, but he was stranded there.
Sunday: Penn State 7, UConn 6
The Huskies got off to another slow start, going down 5-0 after two innings, but a comeback bid fell just short, as the tying run was left stranded at second base in the bottom of the ninth at the end of a three-run frame.
Grant MacArthur came to the plate with the bases loaded and nobody out, delivering a two-run single, but he got hung up between first and second, causing a rundown that pushed Sam Biller to third and Caleb Shpur across the plate. He was initially ruled safe, but was later called out because he was tagged at second. After a lengthy delay, Maddix Dalena drilled the first pitch he saw down the right field line for a double, getting his team to within one, but the rally would end there.
Thomas Ellisen was on the mound for UConn and it was another short outing, as he went just two innings. Only one of his five runs was earned as Carter Groen lost a fly ball in the lights to lead off the second, but there was plenty of traffic otherwise, with three hits and three walks allowed.
Cayden Suchy was trusted to get plenty of outs for the Huskies, as the bullpen had been taxed all weekend and he delivered, with four-plus innings, with one run on four hits. He walked just one and struck out four in a remarkably better second outing of the weekend.
The first 10 UConn hitters went down in order before Biller and MacArthur, who had three hits, each worked walks. Biller stole third while MacArthur was at the plate and with runners on the corners, MacArthur made a good dirt ball read and broke for second. His hard, feet-first slide knocked the throw into center field, enabling Biller to cross the plate and open the scoring.
Ryan Daniels had one of his three knocks in the sixth, driving home a run in two outs. He added another in the eighth as part of a highly productive weekend.
Jude Abbadessa got in his first game since May 2023 and fired a scoreless seventh, while Brady Afthim had a shutout ninth in his season debut.
UConn (0-3) will head to Boca Raton to face Florida Atlantic next weekend in a three-game set. First pitch on Friday is at 6:30 p.m. and all three games will be on FAUSports.com.